Kickoff tee and placement tee

Abstract

A kickoff tee and a placement tee are disclosed. The kickoff tee has a kicking surface surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped support wall defining an open-ended kicking channel. The support wall can further include a pair of opposing protrusions that taper from the top of the support wall downwards toward the kicking surface. The placement tee exhibits a kicking surface atop a kicking platform. The kicking surface includes a kicking target than can be surrounded by a plurality of concentric support ridges. Additionally, the placement tee has a lateral surface extending from the kicking surface downward towards the ground. The lateral surface can exhibit one or more visual indicators to facilitate lining up of a place kick.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A kickoff tee for supporting a football during a kickoff, comprising:
 a kickoff tee having proximal and distal ends; 
 a horseshoe-shaped support wall comprising a proximal portion at the proximal end of the kickoff tee and a pair of opposing lateral portions extending from the proximal portion towards the distal end of the kickoff tee; 
 a kicking surface extending from the proximal portion of the support wall to the distal end of the kickoff tee and between the opposing lateral portions of the support wall, the kicking surface and the opposing lateral portions of the support wall defining a kicking channel that is closed at the proximal end of the kickoff tee and open at the distal end of the kickoff tee; and 
 a pair of protrusions, each extending from an inner surface of the pair of opposing lateral portions of the support wall, wherein each protrusion tapers downward from a top of the support wall and terminates prior to intersecting the kicking surface. 
 
     
     
       2. A kickoff tee according to  claim 1 , wherein the kicking surface further comprises a plurality of support elements. 
     
     
       3. A kickoff tee according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of support elements comprise support ridges extending laterally across the kicking surface. 
     
     
       4. A kickoff tee for use during a kickoff, comprising:
 a kickoff tee having a proximal end, a distal end, and a pair of lateral sides; 
 a substantially flat kicking surface extending from the distal end of the kickoff tee towards the proximal end of the kickoff tee; 
 a continuous U-shaped support wall extending upward from the kicking surface, adjacent to and enclosing the kicking surface at the proximal end and lateral sides of the kickoff tee, the support wall defining a kicking channel having an open face at the distal end of the kickoff tee; and 
 an on-side kick support surface at the distal end of the kickoff tee, adjacent the kicking surface. 
 
     
     
       5. A kickoff tee according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a concave lower surface defining a cavity underneath the kickoff tee. 
 
     
     
       6. A kickoff tee according to  claim 4 , wherein the kicking surface spans at least 25% of a width of the kickoff tee. 
     
     
       7. A kickoff tee according to  claim 6 , wherein the kicking surface spans at least 33% of the width of the kickoff tee. 
     
     
       8. A kickoff tee according to  claim 4 , wherein the kicking surface extends over at least 50% of a length of the kickoff tee from the distal end to the proximal end. 
     
     
       9. A kickoff tee according to  claim 4 , wherein the support wall extends the length of the kickoff tee. 
     
     
       10. A kickoff tee for use during a kickoff, comprising:
 a kickoff tee having a proximal end, a distal end, and a pair of lateral sides; 
 a substantially flat kicking surface extending from the distal end of the kickoff tee towards the proximal end of the kickoff tee; and 
 a U-shaped support wall extending upward from the kicking surface, adjacent to and enclosing the kicking surface at the proximal end and lateral sides of the kickoff tee, the support wall defining a kicking channel having an open face at the distal end of the kickoff tee, wherein the support wall extends over the entire length of the kickoff tee. 
 
     
     
       11. A kickoff tee according to  claim 10 , further comprising a concave lower surface defining a cavity underneath the kickoff tee. 
     
     
       12. A kickoff tee according to  claim 10 , further comprising an on-side kick support surface at the distal end of the kickoff tee, adjacent the kicking surface. 
     
     
       13. A kickoff tee according to  claim 10 , further comprising a pair of opposing protrusions, each extending from an inner surface of the support wall. 
     
     
       14. A kickoff tee according to  claim 13 , wherein each protrusion tapers downward from a top of the support wall toward the kicking surface. 
     
     
       15. A kickoff tee according to  claim 14 , wherein each protrusion terminates prior to intersecting the kicking surface.